Heat exchanger for a power connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020384875-A1
Application number	US-202016877658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooling system for a power connector of a charging inlet assembly includes a cooling adapter coupled to a housing of the charging inlet assembly including an adapter body forming a cavity. The cooling adapter includes supply and return ports adjacent a cable exit. The cooling system includes a heat exchanger positioned in the cavity of the cooling adapter including a heat exchanger body configured to receive the power cable and/or the terminal. The heat exchanger body is thermally coupled to the power cable or the terminal to dissipate heat therefrom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooling system for a power connector of a charging inlet assembly, the cooling system comprising:
a cooling adapter configured to be coupled to a housing of the charging inlet assembly, the cooling adapter including an adapter body forming a cavity, the adapter body having a cable exit for a power cable of the charging inlet assembly, the cooling adapter including a supply port adjacent the cable exit and a return port adjacent the cable exit; a heat exchanger positioned in the cavity of the cooling adapter, the heat exchanger configured to receive at least one of the power cable or a terminal extending from the power cable, the heat exchanger being thermally coupled to the at least one of the power cable or the terminal to dissipate heat therefrom, the heat exchanger having a coolant channel for coolant flow through the heat exchanger.

2 . The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a coolant tube extending between a coolant supply tube and a coolant return tube, the coolant tube is U-shaped having a transition tube between the supply tube and the return tube, the supply tube being parallel to the return tube.

3 . The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein the transition tube extends generally perpendicular to the power cable.

4 . The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein the coolant tube includes a first bend between the supply tube and the transition tube and a second bend between the return to the transition tube.

5 . The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein the coolant tube is continuous between the supply tube and the return tube passing through the heat exchanger.

6 . The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising a second terminal coupled to the housing and a second power cable terminated to the second terminal, the heat exchanger configured to receive at least one of the second power cable or a second terminal, the heat exchanger body being thermally coupled to the at least one of the second power cable or the second terminal to dissipate heat therefrom.

7 . The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger body having a first pocket receiving at least one of the power cable or the terminal and a second pocket receiving at least one of the second power cable or the second terminal, the heat exchanger body providing heat dissipation for the terminal and the second terminal.

8 . The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a coolant tube having a supply tube at a supply side of the heat exchanger and a return tube at a return side of the heat exchanger, the supply tube extending to the supply port of the cooling adapter, the return tube extending to the return port of the cooling adapter, the cooling system further comprising a supply fitting coupled to an end of the supply tube and a return fitting coupled to an end of the return tube, the supply fitting configured to be coupled to a supply line fitting at an end of the coolant supply line, the return fitting configured to be coupled to a return line fitting at an end of the coolant return line.

9 . The cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the supply fitting is located exterior of the adapter body and the return fitting is located exterior of the adapter body.

10 . The cooling system of claim 8 , further comprising a supply tube seal coupled to the supply tube proximate to an end of the supply tube and a return tube seal coupled to the return tube proximate to an end of the return tube, the supply tube seal engaging the adapter body at the supply port to seal the cavity, the return tube seal engaging the adapter body at the return port to seal the cavity.

11 . The cooling system of claim 8 , wherein the coolant supply line is coupled to the supply tube adjacent the cable exit such that the coolant supply line extends from the adapter body generally parallel to the power cable, the coolant return line being coupled to the return tube adjacent the cable exit such that the coolant supply line extends from the adapter body generally parallel to the power cable.

12 . A power connector comprising:
a housing extending between a front and a rear, the housing having a chamber at the rear, the housing having a terminal channel between the front and the rear; a terminal coupled to the housing having a mating end for mating with a charging connector; a power cable terminated to the terminal, the power cable including a conductor; and a heat exchanger positioned in the chamber, the heat exchanger including a heat exchanger body receiving at least one of the power cable or the cable connector of the terminal, the heat exchanger body being thermally coupled to the at least one of the power cable or the terminal to dissipate heat therefrom, the heat exchanger including a thermally conductive separator electrically isolating the heat exchanger body from the at least one of the power cable or the terminal.

13 . The power connector of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a coolant tube extending from the heat exchanger body, the coolant tube being thermally coupled to the heat exchanger body, the coolant tube having a coolant channel for coolant flow through the coolant tube, the coolant tube including a supply tube at a supply side of the heat exchanger and a return tube at a return side of the heat exchanger.

14 . The power connector of claim 13 , wherein the supply tube extends parallel to the power cable and is configured to be coupled to a coolant supply line, and wherein the return tube extends parallel to the power cable and is configured to be coupled to a coolant return line.

15 . The power connector of claim 13 , wherein the coolant tube is U-shaped having a transition tube between the supply tube and the return tube, the supply tube being parallel to the return tube, the transition tube extends generally perpendicular to the power cable, the supply tube and the return tube extending generally parallel to the power cable.

16 . The power connector of claim 13 , further comprising a supply fitting coupled to an end of the supply tube and a return fitting coupled to an end of the return tube, the supply fitting configured to be coupled to a supply line fitting at an end of the coolant supply line, the return fitting configured to be coupled to a return line fitting at an end of the coolant return line.

17 . The power connector of claim 12 , further comprising a second terminal coupled to the housing and a second power cable terminated to the second terminal, the heat exchanger body receiving at least one of the second power cable or the second terminal for heat dissipation of the second terminal.

18 . A charging inlet assembly for an electric vehicle comprising:
a housing extending between a front and a rear, the housing having a chamber at the rear, the housing having a power connector at the front for receiving a charging connector, the power connector including a first terminal channel and a second terminal channel between the front and the rear; a first terminal coupled to the housing, the first terminal positioned in the first terminal channel for mating with the charging connector, the first terminal being terminated to a first power cable; a second terminal coupled to the housing, the second terminal positioned in the second terminal channel for mating with the charging connector, the second terminal being terminated to a second power cable; and a heat exchanger positioned in the chamber, the heat exchanger including a heat exchanger body having a first thermal int

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Rhodes Clara Marguerite
• De Chazal Aaron James
• Myer Nathan Philip
• Patterson Jeremy Christin
• Peterson Kevin John
• Sarraf David Bruce

Classifications

• H05K7/20281

  Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control · CPC title

• B60L53/302 Primary

  Cooling of charging equipment · CPC title

• H05K7/20272 Primary

  Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title

• F28D7/06

  the conduits having a single U-bend (F28D7/10 takes precedence){(F28D7/0016 and F28D7/0033 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title